Build AI Apps with Python: Prompt Engineering Patterns — Few-Shot Chain-of-Thought Role | Episode 24

The same question with a better prompt gets a better answer. Four patterns that improve every AI response. We explore four prompt engineering patterns side by side. Zero-shot vs few-shot — give examples and Claude follows the format. Direct answer vs chain-of-thought — step-by-step reasoning produces better results. Generic assistant vs role prompting — a teacher uses analogies, an expert uses jargon. Unformatted vs format control — numbered lists with no fluff. Each pattern runs the same question twice to show the difference. Student code: https://github.com/GoCelesteAI/build-ai-apps-python/tree/main/episode24 Every keystroke is shown on screen with 3-second pauses so you can follow along at your own pace. What You'll Learn: • Zero-shot vs few-shot prompting • Chain-of-thought reasoning • Role prompting for tone and depth • Output format control • Side-by-side comparison of each pattern • A reusable ask() helper function • When and why to use each pattern Key Takeaways: 1. Few-shot examples teach the format — show 2-3 examples and Claude follows the pattern 2. Chain-of-thought improves reasoning — "think step by step" forces visible logic and catches errors 3. Role prompting shapes tone — a teacher explains differently than an expert, same content different delivery This is Episode 24 of Build AI Apps with Python in Neovim — Phase 5 (Real-World AI Patterns). Taught by CelesteAI. Like & subscribe for more tutorials! #python #ai #promptengineering #fewshot #chainofthought #roleprompting #claudeapi #anthropic #neovim #programming #tutorial #machinelearning #artificialintelligence #coding #pythontutorial #buildaiapps #llm #genai Tags python prompt engineering, few shot prompting, chain of thought, role prompting python, claude api prompts, anthropic sdk, prompt patterns python, ai tutorial 2026, build ai apps python, neovim tutorial, generative ai python, screenkey, code along, output format control, prompt templates